Looks like I really will have to tie you all to my belt

Jiang Tingxue was not particularly heavy. Working together, Song Wensheng and Yan Qing soon pulled her up a considerable distance.

But just as Jiang Tingxue braced her legs against the cliff's edge, ready to climb onto solid ground, an icy hand latched onto her ankle.

"Ah!"

Then Jiang Tingxue felt more invisible hands climbing over her legs, waist, and even her arms, constantly dragging her toward the bottom of the cliff.

Against them, Song Wensheng and Yan Qing's combined strength seemed feeble, and Jiang Tingxue plunged straight down again.

Jiang Tingxue tilted her head back and saw veins bulging along one of Song Wensheng's arms.

She was just about to say something when she heard a sword's ringing draw swiftly closer.

Shen Ji's sword embedded itself in the cliff face beneath Jiang Tingxue's feet. Its light instantly dispersed the invisible hands dragging at her while also giving her a foothold.

The next second, Shen Ji descended beside Jiang Tingxue. He wrapped an arm around his little junior sister and lightly tapped his toes against the blade, carrying her up.

"Eldest Senior Brother!"

To Yan Qing, seeing Shen Ji was like seeing a god descend from heaven. Then he hauled Song Wensheng up from where he lay on the ground, his limbs somewhat numb.

Shen Ji landed with Jiang Tingxue, then turned and retrieved the sword embedded in the cliff. His gaze swept over the bedraggled group, and he frowned. "What happened?"

Jiang Tingxue hung her head lowest of all. "Sorry, Senior Brother. We didn't keep watch over those people. They... fell off the cliff."

Beside her, Song Wensheng and Yan Qing hung their heads too.

Their eldest senior brother had only been away for a moment, and they had already lost those people. What were they going to do if he got angry?

Shen Ji looked toward the bottomless depths below the cliff, but withdrew his gaze after only a second. Then he told them earnestly, "Since you haven't learned sword flight yet, don't risk your lives in places like this. Remember, no matter when, look after yourselves."

They looked up in surprise, finding no sign of anger on Shen Ji's face.

"Senior Brother, you don't blame us?"

Shen Ji did not answer, only walked ahead, already changing the subject.

"The cave in the middle is the moth demon's lair. Stay close to me this time." He smiled, his tone seemingly helpless yet indulgent. "Looks like I really will have to tie you all to my belt. Otherwise, how am I supposed to answer to Master when we get back?"

As long as her senior brother was not angry, Jiang Tingxue immediately cheered up. She grabbed Yan Qing and promptly followed behind Shen Ji. "Senior Brother, we won't do it again."

After a few steps, she realized someone was missing from her side. Turning back, she found Song Wensheng still standing where he had been, rubbing his shoulder, so she went back to him.

"Thank you for earlier. Are you all right? Why don't you wait here and rest? Little Junior Brother and I can go with Eldest Senior Brother."

Song Wensheng immediately puffed out his chest. "Who are you looking down on? My arm's just a little numb."

Jiang Tingxue pursed her lips and muttered, "I was worried about you. How was I looking down on you? Honestly."

Shen Ji brought them to the cave entrance one at a time, and the group entered the final cavern where the moth demon dwelled.

There was no light inside. They could not see their own fingers in front of their faces.

Shen Ji walked at the front, remaining alert for anything unusual in the cave while listening to make sure none of the footsteps behind him went missing.

"Everyone, be careful. Keep your swords ready. That moth demon could strike at any moment."

All of them kept their hands on their sword hilts, ready to act at any time.

In the darkness, the sound of fluttering wings rose in the distance, drawing closer.

"Watch out, here it comes!"

Swords left their sheaths in unison, the sound echoing through the cave.

But the moth demon did not seem to intend to attack any of them, merely circling around them in an erratic path.

The flutter of wings sounded by their left ears one moment, then swept past their right ears the next, its movements as elusive as a ghost.

"Senior Brother, she won't fight us and just keeps scaring us like this. She really has no martial virtue." Listening to those wings made Jiang Tingxue's heart flutter with unease.

Song Wensheng's nerves were taut too, but he still said defiantly, "All flash and no substance. I wasn't raised on fear."

Shen Ji sensed the fragrance in the cave gradually thickening. This substance could numb the nerves; dragging things out would certainly do them no good. He said, "You three stand back-to-back and guard every direction. I'll use a fire talisman to lure him out."

They immediately changed formation, bracing against one another.

"Senior Brother, you must be careful."

Shen Ji leaped into the air and formed a hand seal. A bright fire talisman appeared in his palm, its brilliant yellow flames illuminating the entire cavern.

In that instant, they all saw the moth demon crouching directly above their heads.

Its enormous markings loomed over them, sending a chill of revulsion through Jiang Tingxue.

At the sight of the light, the moth demon immediately lunged at Shen Ji, spreading her massive wings as if to wrap him inside them.

But Shen Ji, who had already seen this move, reacted swiftly. He darted beyond the wings' reach and thrust his sword one-handed at the base of the moth demon's wing.

After a distinct cracking sound, cracks appeared at the base of the moth demon's right wing.

As Shen Ji withdrew his sword, the cracks widened further, and a piece broke off.

Seeing this, the three on the ground struck while the iron was hot, circling to the moth demon's left, ready to sever her right wing.

The three swords drove forward like bamboo splitting before them. Just as they were about to strike the left wing squarely, the moth demon unexpectedly shrank to a fraction of her size at the crucial moment.

All three swords plunged into the stone wall.

"This is an outright rebellion! How does this demon have so many tricks?"

The instant those words fell, some unknown mechanism seemed to trigger inside the cave, and it suddenly became brilliantly lit.

After a flash of white light before their eyes, patterns slowly began spreading through the cave.

Patterns identical to those on the moth demon also emerged beneath Jiang Tingxue, Song Wensheng, and Yan Qing, expanding and spinning in circle after circle.

"Urgh!" Looking at those patterns, Yan Qing felt dizzy. His legs gave way, and he collapsed to the ground.

In just two or three seconds, the circular patterns on the floor and walls covered the entire cavern.

"Watch out! Close your eyes!"

Shen Ji's stern voice rang out from above. Jiang Tingxue and Song Wensheng squeezed their eyes shut at the same time, but it was already too late.

One glance at those eerie patterns had already branded them into their minds. Even with their eyes closed, all they could see were those eerie patterns spinning, leaving them utterly unable to fight.

Seeing this, Shen Ji abandoned his continued struggle with the moth demon and landed, shielding his junior brothers and sister.

With his eyes closed, he held his sword horizontally in front of them.

But this turned their offensive position into a defensive one again.

Now, not only could the patterns in the cave bewilder their minds, but the fragrance had also grown stronger.

Amid the stalemate, Shen Ji suddenly heard the ringing of a sword from another direction.

Shen Ji smiled in understanding. "Senior Brother Xie."

"Mm. It's on your right, twelve feet away. Just strike. I'll attack his left."